In an environment full of distractions, an inspirational force is often difficult to uncover. My life during high school, one consumed with social distractions, created an environment of little focus. However, I thought that when I arrived at Columbia, I would finally learn in an environment of scholarly inspiration.</p><p>As I stepped onto the Columbia campus on my first day, Butler Library immediately caught my attention. The path of loosened coble-stones gave way to pillars of time-honored stone that housed thinkers of the Ivy-League institution. Butler was a work of art in my eyes; it would make me as successful as the many others who had passed through its doors before me. I felt so privileged to be able to work with such great people, in such a majestic space, in the greatest city in the world.</p><p>Sitting in Butler reflecting on my new scholarly environment, I thought that this was my inspiration. Columbia’s history, its beauty, and my colleagues, all inspired me to work to my fullest potential. However, my cultural exploration of NYC soon taught me otherwise.

On a trip to the MoMA, gadgets of flashing lights, blank canvases, and chairs hanging from wires surrounded me. Being somewhat of an art history guru, I knew modern art was unconventional, but the work within the MoMA altered my perception on art entirely. I realized that while traditionalists may reject a modern artist’s inspiration, and even disregard their work as art, others may think of it as a masterpiece. As I contemplated the meaning of inspiration, I realized that some, such as artists, find it wherever they work, regardless of their environment.

To understand the art of the MoMA the artists must have searched for motivation. Through the discovery of something stimulating, the artists perceived inspiration. The journey to arrive at one’s inspiration was beautiful, and in turn, part of the inspiration in itself.

I applied this logic of the modern artist to my own scholarly ventures. By exploring my environment, cultural outlets of NYC, I sought out true intellectual stimulation that inspired me. The adventure of finding exciting material at the MoMA was a catalyst for creativity. By unearthing scholarly arousal in my environment, I found that it was not only the surroundings I worked in, but also my journey to explore those surroundings, that revealed true inspiration.